Slab foundation -- avoid?

This article says not to buy houses with a slab:

http://www.howtodothings.com/finance-real-estate/how-to-inspect-a-fixer-upper

I was wondering if people here agree with this?

Hi there,

Here in TX we don’t have that many options, most of the houses are on a slab due to the excessive expansion and contraction of the soil (mostly clay here in north TX). That being said, you have to account for these possibly expensive repairs when you buy. If there is foundation issues you can fix them, and it is not always as bad as people think, I have seen a house where the whole slab had cracked right down the middle and the two sides where 5-7 inches apart, a reputable foundation repair company will fix this and provide you with a lifetime transferable warranty on the foundation.

What you need to do when buying a house with foundation issues is to have the plumbing inspected before the foundation repair and after, this way if any issues are created when repairing the foundation, you will know right away and can fix it before you sell or rent.

Like with everything else you have to know your numbers and buy at the right price. For me it’s a good thing that people are scared of houses with foundation issues, I can get those at a greater discount due to less competition.

Just my 2 cents, I am sure others have different opinions…

Tex

Thanks Tex. The slab is common here as well.

I was in Louisiana. There you have two choices: Slab or dirt floor.

I didn’t even see any ‘stem-wall’ construction to speak of.

Keith

You can’t dig a basement when the water table is only 10 feet down.

That’s why we have slabs and no basements.

With pier & beam you get water/rot issues, hard to insulate, and they twist when the ground moves.

Every foundation has its issues.

I live in a house on a slab that has had piers installed for foundation movement. It’s common here. I don’t lose sleep over it and don’t think twice about it. It’s a NON ISSUE.

In these parts (Dallas) clay soils move so much it’s not a question of “if” but “when” your house is going to need them. At least I know it’s taken care of and I won’t be facing the bill later. There is some security in that knowledge.

We had piers installed both on the last rehab we did and the rental we sold in 08. We sold it as “security” that the foundation wouldn’t be an issue in the future.